Motor mechanism for opening and closing electric switches



June 1965 Q T. F. JOHNSON MOTOR MECHANISM FOR OPENING AND CLOSING ELECTRIC SWITCHES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1962 INVENTOR- ma M June 15, 1965 T. F. JOHNSON 3,189,698

MOTOR MECHANISM FOR OPENING AND CLOSING ELECTRIC SWITCHES Filed Sept. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 if 149 w 7 5! 17 IN VEN TOR.

United. States Patent 3,139,69li MOTOR I'VIECHANISM FGR OPEN'ENG AND (ZLQSING ELECTRIC SWITCHES Tomlinson F. Johnson, R0. Box 10958,Atlanta 10, Ga. Filed Sept. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 221,511 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-453) This invention relates to high tension electric switches and has more particular reference to apparatus for opening and closing gang operated high tension electric switches.

One object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved apparatus for opening and closing gang operated high tension electric switches.

Another object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved apparatus, as characterized above, including electrically operated means for moving the switches to closed and opened positions and locking means for holding the switches in the position to which they have been moved.

' A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for opening and closing gang high tension electric switches which is simple and inexpensive in construction and efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View, with parts broken away, of a gang of high tension electric switches and showing them connected to one embodiment of apparatus for opening and closing the switches and holding them in their opened or closed position, constructed in accordance with the present invention;

PEG. 2 is a Vertical sectional View, taken on the line 22 of PKG. 1, showing the construction of a switch unit;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the reversible gear electric motor shown in FIG. 1 and the manner in which it is connected to rotate the vertical switch operating shaft for the gang of switches; and

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are plan views of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, and showing the operating arm in different positions. 1

The present invention is an improvement on the invention shown and described in my prior Patent No 3,026,388, for mechanism for opening or closing a switch by means of an electric motor and provides novel and improved apparatus for operating high tension electric switches of the movable insulator type wherein a stationary insulator carrying switch jaws and a movable insulator carrying a switch blade are mounted on a common support. The invention provides novel and improved means for moving the switches to either opened or closed position and holding them in the position to which they have been moved.

The improved apparatus is particularly designed for operating groups or gangs of such high tension electric switches.

While the improved apparatus, for opening a gang of high tension switches, of the present invention, can be used with high tension electric switches of either the vertical break rotating type switch, such as disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,248,876, the side break rotating type such as disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,231,- 809, or the rocking insulator type such as disclosed in my Patent No. 2,794,871; for the purpose of illustration, it will be shown and described as used with a high tension side break rotating switch of the type shown in FIG. 6 of my Patent No. 2,231,809.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated, in

Eddthbd FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, a gang or group of side break rotating insulator type switch units connected to one embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention for operating the switch units as a group to move them to closed or opened position and to hold them in the position to which they have been moved. As there shown, the apparatus comprises a group or gang of switch units S, three such being shown, each having the operating arm A of its rotating insulator pivotally connected to an interphase rod or pipe 16; a vertical rotatable operating shaft or down pipe 11 journaled in suitable bearings 12 carried by brackets 13 mounted on the frame, indicated generally at 14, which support the switch units S; a reach pipe 15 pivotally connected at one end to the interphase pipe it) and having its other end pivotally connected to the down pipe 111; a pin actuated operating arm device, indicated generally at 16, fixedly secured on the bottom end portion of the down pipe 11; a reversible electric gear motor 17 connected to rotate a horizontal cam 18 having an upturned peripheral flange for engaging the arm device 16 to rotate the down pipe 11.

The switch units S are generally similar to the switch unit shown in FIG. 6 of my prior Patent No. 2,231,809, and, as shown in FIG. 2, each comprises a stationary insulator l9 fixedly mounted on one end of an ordinary structural channel member forming the base member 26 of the switch unit, and a rotating insulator 21 mounted on the other end of the base member, The stationary insulator 19 carries the usual switch jaws and terminal connections, indicated generally at 22, and the rotating insulator 21 carries the usual switch blade assembly and terminal connections, indicated generally at 23.

The operating rod 10 is pivotally connected to the usual operating arm A of each of the rotating insulators for rotating these arms simultaneously as a unit to simultaneously open or close all of the switches.

The gear motor 17 may be of any suitable usual commercial type of a combined reversible electric motor and reduction gearing. In this particular modification, the gear motor is designed to rotate the cam disc 18 fixedly mounted on a vertical shaft 24 connected to be operated by the gear motor at from 8 to 10 r.p.m. The horizontal cam disc 18 has a peripheral upturned flange 25 provided with an elongated vertical slot 26 and an upturned pin 27 positioned outboard of and opposite the slot 26 for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

The pin actuated operating arm device is shown as comprising a collar 28 fixed on the down pipe 11 and having a laterally projecting arm 2? formed integral therewith, the outer free end of the arm 29 is provided with a depending lug 30 on the inner end portion of which is formed a depending actuating lug 3.1.

The down pipe 11, the reach pipe 15, and the interphase pipe 10 are so connected that the pipe 11 must be rotated through 90 to move the switches from closed to open position or from open to closed position, and the collar 28 is secured on the down pipe 1'1 that the arm 29 will project in a vertical plane coinciding with the vertical plane passing through the longitudinal center line of the gear motor, when the down pipe 11 has been rotated 45 away from the position it occupies when the switch units are opened and when they are closed. When the arm 29 is in this position, the depending lug 30 will project into and through the slot 26 on the upturned flange of the cam disc 18. As the cam disc 18 is rotated in either direction, the pin 27 will engage the side of the actuating lug 31 and, with a cam-like action, will cause the arm 29 to be swung either to the right or left until it has reached the limit of its move ment, at which time it will have moved out of the slot and the lug 30 will be held in engagement with the outer surface of the disc by means of one of a pair of adjustable set screw stop members 32, 33 carried by a suitable support 34 mounted on the bearing for the disc 18. This will be true regardless of the direction of rotation of the disc. The starting, stopping and reversing of the direction of the motor are controlled by an operator by means of a suitable usual switch panel (not shown) located in a remote control room.

From the foregoing the operation of the apparatus is believed apparent. When the switches are in locked open position, as shown in FIG. 4, the operating arm is held against the flange 25 by the set screw 32 and the pin 27 and slot 2-6 are adjacent to the down pipe ll l. As the disc 13 is rotated in the direction of the arrows, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 (counterclockwise) the pin 27 will engage the after beveled edge of the depending actuating lug 31 and guide the depending lug 30 into the slot, as shown in FIG. 5.

As the disc continues to rotate in the counterclockwise direction the pin 27 will disengage the actuating lug 31 and pass under the depending lug 30 to the opposite side of the operating arm, as shown in FIG. 6. During this movement one of the edges of the slot 26 will engage the depending lugand rotate the operating arm to bring it into the position shown in FIG. 7, where the adjustable set screw 3.2 will engage the operating arm and'act as a locking member held against the upstanding flange 25. At this time the motor will be stopped and the disc will be at rest with the switches in locked closed position. When the switches are to be opened the disc 13 is rotated in the opposite direction and the pin 27 and slot 26 operate in the same manner to move the operating arrn to the closed position shown in FIG. 4. The depending lugs 30 and 31, as shown have their after edges beveled to facilitate their engagement with the pin 27 and the pin 27 is slightly offset from the longitudinal center line connecting the down pipe 11 and the vertical axis of the disc 1-8, as shown in- FIG. 4, and the depending lug 3 f has its bottom edge positioned slightly above the top of the pin 27 to permit the pin 27 to pass thereunder as above described.

From the foregoing description, it readily will be seen that there has been provided novel and improved electrically opera-ted apparatus for opening and locking open and closing and locking closed, as a unit, a gang of high tension electric switches; apparatus which is simple in .construction, inexpensive, and eflicient in operation.

While the apparatus has been illustrated and described as operatingia triple pole switch made up of three high tension switch units of the rotating insulator type, obviously, it could just as readily be employed to operate double pole or single pole switches of the rotative or rocking insulator type.

Obviously, too, the invention is not restricted to the particular embodiments thereof herein shown and de scribed.

What is claimed is: 7

1. An apparatus for operating a group of high tension electrical switches of the movable insulator type comprising a vertical rotatable shaft having its upper end adapted to be connected to means for simultaneously opening and closing the group of high tension electric switches in response to rotation of said vertical shaft between first and second angular positions, a horizontally disposed operating arm fixedly secured to said rotatable shaft intermediate its ends, reversible means for moving said operating arm between first and second positions which correspond to the first and second angular positions for said vertical shaft, said moving means comprising a disk rotatably mounted in proximity to said operating arm, cam means rigidly secured to said rotatable disk for engaging said operating arm and moving said operating arm when said disk is rotated, and aligning means mounted on said disk positioned to contact said operating arm when said disk is rotated for moving saidarm into proper initial alignment with said cam means.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising adjustable limit means mounted on either side of said operating arm and adapted to contact said operating arm for defining the angular limit for said first and second positions for said operating arm.

' 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cam means comprises a circular upstanding flange having a slot defined thereby, said operatingarm having a depending portion which is adapted to move through said slot when said disk is rotated and when said aligning means cams the edge of said depending portion to a position such that said depending portion will pass through said slot as said disk continues to rotate;

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said aligning means comprises an upstanding pin which is positioned a greater distance from the center of rotation of said disk than said circular flange and which is positioned at substantially the center of said slot, and said depending portion is positioned to be contacted by said pin-when said disk is rotated.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said depending portion has beveled edges to facilitate proper alignment with respect to the edges of said flange defining said slot.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said flange is equidistant from the center of rotation of said disk throughout its periphery, said flange having a substantially constant height throughout, said operating arm having a connecting portion one end of which is rigidly secured to said vertical shaft and the other end of which is integral with said depending portion, said connecting portion having a lower edge at a level above the top of said flange, a terminal end integral with said depending portion and having a lower edge at a level substantially halfway between the top of said flange and the bottom of said depending portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,026,388 3/62 Johnson ZOO-48 X BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING A GROUP OF HIGH TENSION ELECTRICAL SWITCHES OF THE MOVABLE INSULATOR TYPE COMPRISING A VERTICAL ROTATABLE HAVING ITS UPPER END ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY OPENING AND CLOSING THE GROUP OF HIGH TENSION ELECTRIC SWITCHES IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID VERTICAL SHAFT BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND ANGULAR POSITIONS, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED OPERATING ARM FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID ROTATABLE SHAFT INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, REVERSIBLE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID OPERATING ARM BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE FIRST AND SECOND ANGULAR POSITIONS FOR SAID VERTICAL SHAFT, SAID MOVING MEANS COMPRISING A DISK ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN PROXIMITY TO SAID OPERATING ARM, CAM MEANS RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID ROTATABLE DISK FOR ENGAGING SAID OPERATING ARM AND MOVING SAID OPERATING ARM WHEN SAID DISK IS ROTATED, AND ALIGNING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID DISK POSITIONED TO CONTACT SAID OPERATING ARM WHEN SAID DISK IS ROTATED FOR MOVING SAID ARM INTO PROPER INITIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CAM MEANS. 